This invention relates to enclosures for growing plants, and more particularly, to a portable, self-contained greenhouse.
Various forms of small, greenhouse-like structures are presently available for use in homes, offices, and other such surroundings. These structures are employed to facilitate the growing of plants and for seed germination prior to planting in an outdoor garden. Also, due to the weather conditions experienced in many geographical areas, people are unable to raise out of doors many of the tropical of more exotic type plants. These plants require a relatively high moisture content in the atmosphere and soil as well as relatively warm temperatures.
The small portable greenhouses that have been proposed in an attempt to provide a fairly controlled atmosphere within which the common variety of house plants as well as the more exotic tropical varieties may be successfully grown are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,963,819 to E.T. Hoch, entitled PORTABLE GREENHOUSE and issued on Dec. 13, 1960. This patent discloses a portable greenhouse arrangement including a base, upstanding side panels, front and rear walls and a roof structure including slidable, transparent panels. An incandescent or fluorescent light is provided for artificial stimulation of plants within the greenhouse. Further, heater tape is stapled to a Masonite board which is disposed within the base to provide heat for plant growth. No provision is made to ensure an adequate supply of water in order to maintain the moisture level required for proper plant growth and seed germination. Further, the artificial lighting system must be manually actuated for artificial stimulation.
Although serving to provide an enclosure whereby fairly stable atmospheric and soil conditions may be maintained, the portable greenhouses of the type exemplified in the Hoch patent require fairly constant attention and monitoring on the part of the user.
The need exists, therefore, for a portable greenhouse structure which is simple in overall structural arrangement, easily manufactured, but which includes provision for fairly automatic operation without the need for constant attention on the part of the user. Such a portable greenhouse should be capable of maintaining the soil within which the plants grow at the desired temperature for the particular types of plants involved. The greenhouse should also have the capability of providing artificial stimulation of the plants as a function of ambient lighting as well as provide an indication of the moisture content of the soil. These features should be incorporated in a structure which is not so complex as to present reliability problems and as to result in high manufacturing costs. It is also of utmost importance to provide easy access to the confines of the enclosure for planting, removal, and treatment of the plants. The manner in which the enclosure is heated and the manner in which artificial lighting is provided must be such as to reduce any possibility of accidental injury to the user of the greenhouse.